Pines Commissioner Angelo Castillo’s Wacky Comment Insults Blacks, Hispanics

BY BUDDY NEVINS

 

African Americans had to fight their way out of the depths of segregation to get equality under the law and they still often don’t get a fair shake.

Hispanics are treated like second-class citizens in much of this country.

Then there are the largely white, fresh-faced middle class suburban kids who go to Pembroke Pines’ city-owned middle schools.

In Pembroke Pines Commissioner Angelo Castillo’s fevered mind and frantic fingers on Facebook, they are same. They are equivalents!

Castillo insulted blacks and Hispanics by even comparing their struggles with the “plight” of his city’s charter schools.

Poor Pembroke Pines doesn’t believe it gets enough money for its elitist charter schools from the public Broward School System. Boo Hoo.

A court ruled against them when they brought the matter to court.

Castillo, whose children went to the city charter schools, can’t give up the fight.  He and the other foolish city commissioners are bringing it to Tallahassee.   Pembroke Pines and its allies in the charter school industry are in the Capital this Legislative session for another run at the public schools’ money.

What shocks me is that this politician Castillo appears only to  champion charter schools and charter students.

What’s the matter, Angelo?

You are starting to sound like those School Boards of the past that you wrote about with your “intentional discriminated” against groups of students….in this case, the thousands in  Pembroke Pines who go to regular public schools.

When are you going to speak out for them?

(Thanks to one of Castillo’s Facebook friends (really a Castillo frenemy)  who wants to remain anonymous for forwarding the following exchange to me.  I added the bold faced type for emphasis.)

 

Angelo Castillo  Some have questioned my use of the word “evil” in this context but I defend it without reservation. Let’s look at definitions. Evil is commonly associated with conscious and deliberate wrongdoing, discrimination designed to harm others, humiliation of people designed to diminish their psychological well-being and dignity, destructiveness, motives of causing pain or suffering for selfish or malicious intentions, and acts of unnecessary or indiscriminate violence. The word “evil” fits perfectly in the context of intentionally depriving charter school students of taxpayer funds, to the intentional benefit of others similarly situated, and then offer thinly disguised excuses to cover up the true intention — which is to destroy charter schools because they threaten the traditional public school monopoly. You see, so long as there is a comparison point — much less one demanded for by parents — then there is an accountability point for the traditional public schools. True education advocates want that accountability, want that comparison because without it there won’t be any forward progress in public education. Some hate it because their agenda isn’t education at all but milking a system dry through to retirement (selfish reasons) that have nothing to do with better educating kids. They could care less about educating kids, despite their rhetoric, and their actions prove that. This is very clearly evil and we the taxpayers should call it what it is and eliminate it from our communities. Out with evil. In with fairness and true educational improvement. Fund every child equally now.
23 hours ago · Like






      

Hector Samario Angelo….the City has repeated taken this matter to court and has been told, repeatedly, that their argument is not valid. Given the harsh infrastructure conditions many of our schools currently face…and Pines Charter does NOT fall into this category, I would expect you to claim that the “fair share” of funds should be directed at the schools in desperate need of repair. I understand your bias in this matter, but “fair share” is a very weak argument when you compare the educational environment many schools face versus that of Pines Charter. Pines Charter is in great shape…the path voluntarily chosen for funding this school is now facing challenges….that does not entitle you to a new source of funds. My daughter graduated from Pines Charter…and it holds a special place in my heart…but to demand redirecting funds from other Broward Schools (and there is only a fixed amount to go around) that are in greater disarray is not a valid argument or consistent with “fair share”.
22 hours ago via mobile · Like






Angelo Castillo Actually Hector, what the Judge said is school board has the discretion under existing evil laws to discriminate against charter schools with our tax dollars. We challenge the constitutionality of those statutes and are going through the steps to get there. Many school districts don’t do that, they share. Ours doesn’t. They CHOOSE not to share when they could, and their financial challenges are even less pressing than some of the school districts that do because it is the right and honorable, proper thing to do. On the rest of your arguments, while I respect you personally you are equally misinformed. There isn’t one thing the district does that Pines Charter can’t if funded to do it. This issue is about them hating charter schools — in the same way school boards in the past hated Blacks and Hispanics. It is an act of intentional discrimination in funding because they want us to fail. Make no mistake about it. That kind of evil did not last long decades ago when parents won social justice, and will not now when parents demand financial justice. All public school students are equal in the eyes of God and we their parents demand equal funding for each and every one of them with our tax dollars. We will win that battle because it is the right answer. You should be proud to join that effort because it’s high time we started getting policies right at the school board.
20 hours ago via mobile · Edited · Like






      

Angelo Castillo Further, the reason our schools are in great shape is we don’t ignore them like the school board does. We are responsible owners. That sense of responsibility forces us to take money out of classrooms to pay for capital costs. School board funds their capital on top of their classroom funds. Those are the funds they deny us. They say they don’t have enough, but some years ago when several of them went to jail or died from stress associated with their corrupt use of said funds, they also said money was tight. Money is always tight when you don’t want to do something. However were Pines charter schools suddenly gifted over to district, miraculously all the capital dollars necessary would instantly be found. This is proof of their evil lies. Do not be bamboozled. This is about the school district’s hatred for all charter schools — in particular any high performing charter school like ours — because we make them look like shit. We outperform them for less money and that CANNOT be tolerated by a lazy monopolistic, self-centered, evil empire. Have I made this clear enough yet? And the fact that we outperform them despite their every effort to kill us just bugs them to no end. As if we’d die so easy. Hector, this is absolutely not about money though we could certainly could teach them how to manage funds. Go read the grand jury report…school board has no financial credibility. This is about them hating charter schools, being against parent choice, being accountable to the taxpayers and protecting their evil monopolistic empire. And the thing is this, in case you have not noticed. I have no fear whatsoever to say it just that way because it’s 100% true.
20 hours ago via mobile · Edited · Like






      



27 Responses to “Pines Commissioner Angelo Castillo’s Wacky Comment Insults Blacks, Hispanics”

  1. Christine says:

    Eegads! He’s a blustering blowhard buffoon in real life too!

  2. Ghost of Peter Funt says:

    Where are the candid cameras? Is it possible for a politician to be this out of touch with reality? This must be a joke. If not, where can I send my campaign contribution to someone that will unseat this this guy? What a slap to his constituents.

  3. Reform in 2013 says:

    Angelo: Thats the reason you didn’t win county commission and now this is even BIGGER REASON Sheriff Israel needs to dismiss you from BSO immediately….you have been a major embarassment!

  4. The Critic says:

    Hey buddy, what’s with the obsession with Castillo?

  5. Pines Resident says:

    Is Angello makign these remarks on the County or Pines payroll??? Angello is a disgrace to any public office. He is so arrogant and full of hismelf. Doesnt he have anything better to do for taxpayers of Broward County and Pembroke Pines then to continously, continously and continously make remarks on these blogs about City business. This guy is incompetent and a complaint filed, which will be to the Governor’s Commission on Ethics!!! Enough is enough Angello.

  6. Sam The Sham says:

    Yeah, he sounds like a bombastic blowhard, but he has a point. Why should the Skool Board spend less on a child in a charter school than it does on a child in public school?

    FROM BUDDY:

    I don’t accept the statement that the traditional public schools get more money without proof. School funding is extremely arcane and not that easy to explain. Maybe the money goes for services that the charters don’t offer?

    I do know that a court rejected Pembroke Pines’ argument that they deserve more money. I do know that the most expensive traditional public high school and most recent new public high school in the county was constructed in Pembroke Pines, but we don’t hear Castillo and his fellow commissioners thanking the rest of us for that. I also know that Pembroke Pines has many traditional schools that need improvements, but I never hear Castillo bellyaching about that either. And, finally, I know that there is no excuse for Castillo’s over-the-top Facebook post, regardless of the merit of his argument.

  7. RLCs - Wrong for Broward says:

    Time for an update on Castillo’s favorite way to HELP residents (pay the City lots more money) – Red Light Cameras!!!

    http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/michael-mayo-blog/sfl-mayo-red-light-cameras-20130110,0,3490602.story

    … there are so many problems and issues involving the cameras, and the way tickets and evidence are handled, that wholesale dismissals are becoming common … here are the tweaks I’d like to see made by the Legislature and municipalities as red-light cameras go forward.

    –Consider using red-light cameras only for straight or left-turn violations. These are the incidents that cause T-bone or head-on collisions, while right-turn violations, especially slow-rolling ones, seem more like a money grab.

    –If right-turn violations are still in play, there needs to be uniform definition and application of “careful and prudent” right turns for police and traffic magistrates. Some municipalities let drivers go 12 mph making a right turn, others 8 mph, others require a full stop and others don’t bother citing right turns at all. This inconsistency is maddening for drivers.

    –For right turns at camera intersections where the cross-traffic has a left-turn signal, there should be mandatory installation of right-turn green arrows. There’s no reason for the right-turn traffic to fully stop if there’s no oncoming cross-traffic and pedestrians can’t cross. …

    –The vendor video needs to have streaming time stamps as the alleged violation plays out. Currently, there’s just one time frozen on the posted video clip, which seems weird. It seems the speed of the video clip can be manipulated, making cars look like they’re going faster.

    –The challenge/court process needs to be simpler and fairer, with no additional fine or court costs incurred for fighting a red-light violation and only one trip to court required for a hearing, not the current two. …

    —–
    http://discussions.sun-sentinel.com/20/soflanews/sfl-mayo-red-light-cameras-20130110/10

    … Most people don’t know that the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) changes the rules in July 2011 to allow cities to deliberately and improperly set the yellow intervals on the lights up to about one second too short for the ACTUAL approach speeds of vehicles. This deliberately improper yellow light timing means that thousands and thousands of tickets will be issued to very safe drivers tricked into making split second violations by tripping the red by 0.3 or 0.8 seconds – violations caused by the improper light timing. Since the state takes the first $83 of each ticket without paying any of the high camera costs, this means the change by FDOT was worth about $83 million to the state on the one million tickets…
    ~~~~~
    …The crash videos the Industry puts on TV show us that most of the real bad running is 5+ seconds into the red. It occurs because the signal isn’t prominent enough – the motorist (a visitor or distracted/impaired local) may miss seeing it entirely. Here’s how to make a signal more prominent. Cheaply and quickly.

    A. Paint “signal ahead” on the pavement. A study sponsored by Florida’s DOT found that doing so could cut running by up to 74%.

    B. Make the signal lights bigger in diameter or, add another signal head. A study by the Texas Transp. Institute (TTI) found that doing either one could cut crashes by 47%.

    C. Add backboards to the signal heads. The TTI study found that doing so could cut crashes by 32%.

    D. For nighttime driving, install brighter bulbs in the street lights and put up lighted name signs for the cross street.

    These things should be tried at a city’s ten worst intersections before there is any consideration of putting in red light cameras. …
    ~~~~~
    … As a Deputy myself, I do not agree with the cameras and think they should be abolished. The state has set the bar for court testimony when I have to appar on a traffic ticket. I must be able to identify the defendant and recall the incident in order to proceed. The red light camera tickects do not have to meet the same standard for the same exact ticket. I believe the state has created two different standars. Every city claims thatt he red lights are all about safety but yet not one red light camera ticket has ever resulted in driver improvement school. So if the ticket is about safety and not money, then why no education and only revenue collection. Further, studies show that over time, more accidents happen at intersections with red lights. …
    ~~~~~
    … The problem is not the late red light runners who hit the intersection one or two seconds after the light’s gone red, it’s the ones who get caught – while driving the limit or less – in that brief go/no go zone as the light changes. They are faced with firmly applying if not slamming on the brakes, or risking the stupid $156 as they reach the intersection just as the light goes red. There is not enough system discrimination between someone who is a 10th of a second off and the really dangerous ones who blow through a full second or two after the light changes. …

  8. Panda Bear says:

    Well, I have to tell you that Angelo just probably left out a preposition and two commas in oversight. Buddy, what are you perfect or Shakespeare?? He probably meant to say: “That kind of evil did not last for long, decades ago, when parents won social justice, and will not last now when parents demand financial justice.”, which would then make it a very valid point and a valid statement. Where is the insult or humilitation there to anyone, especially Blacks or Hispanics? Everything he has said is true. They know it’s true too! Minorities have always been pushed down in our society on purpose to keep them from rising. That’s a known fact! Why do you think for so many long years large groups of minorities have been kept on public subsidy? To prevent them from rising! There’s no lie to what he’s saying. Now as far as the School Board goes, they do have a nastiness towards Charter Schools. That’s no lie either. They don’t give them all the things they need on purpose. They make them buy exams, programs, and so on, from them. That’s no lie either. They want to make $ from them any way they can. They want to make it impossible for them and they want to see them fail, so they will continue to set them up for it and hope for the best. BTW, my neighbor also informs me that some of the people working in the Charter Office downtown are disguised enemies of Charter Schools. I don’t make up anything; I get it straight from a neighbor who works for a Charter school. It’s also true that if these Charter buildings were to become traditional schools, the school board would magically find the $ to fund them. Do you think that that a lie as well? So, like I said, I don’t see where you need to always keep pointing at Angelo, Buddy. What’s the problem? Does the truth hurt that badly?

    FROM BUDDY:

    The School Board contains at least two members who are philosophically favorable to charter schools, maybe more.

    Let’s look at the facts: Pembroke Pines lost its argument in court. So they are bring the argument to the Republican-dominated state Legislature in hope it will overrule the court ruling.
    Hmmmmm. Reminds me of the NRA. The organization wouldn’t put up with counties voting for gun control so they got their allies in the state Legislature to outlaw it.

  9. Castillo is a joke! says:

    Buddy I am sooo surprised you have finally jumped on Angelo. You use to praise him and even thought he’d be a good county commissioner a few yrs ago

  10. PandaBear says:

    Buddy:
    The Pines doesn’t need philosophy. Yes, there are a couple of self-declared “friends” at the Board. And yes, there may be more. Philosophically. But I’d rather go by facts and not philosophy. Though I’m personally neither for nor against Charters, I see no wrong, humiliation, insult or any other reason why Pines shouldn’t bring this up at Tally if that’s what they want. No one here can be mortified by this action. Where’s the insult? Please point me towards it, ’cause I guess I’ve missed the boat. Never in a million years would I spend my time taking whatever happens to turn it around and regurgitate it to become what I had wanted it to be depending on my personal agenda like you. Now, that’s wacky, my friend, real wacky!! Show me a list of Blacks or Hispanics that are insulted by Angelo’s true comments.

  11. Floridan says:

    I don’t agree with Castillo on this issue, but what he’s advocating isn’t so far out as to be illogical.

    It’s unfortunate that almost any public sector disagreement quickly moves from a discussion of the relative merits to personal invectives.

    Sad

  12. CCC says:

    To bad there is not a reaction or quote from Mary Fertig. Angelo’s comments are an insult to all the work Mary and Chris Fertig accomplished out of the CCC lawsuit to bring equality to all schools in Broward.

  13. Commissioner Angelo Castillo says:

    Buddy,

    Allow this Hispanic American to set you straight on a number of facts.

    First, the Pines Charter schools are every bit as diverse as any other public school in the areas they serve and to suggest otherwise is just plain inaccurate. How could you possibly be so incorrect on a basic fact and hope to hold even a thread of credibility? Did you bother call to ask? Obviously not. And worse, from there you dive even further into the abyss of inaccuracy.

    Second, the discrimination at issue in Brown vs. Board of Education was about providing some public school children with resources that others didn’t and segregation. We suffer the same impact as a result of the scheme to segregate charter students into some other class of public school student that does not share equally in taxpayer funds.

    Third, my comments defend ethnic and racial equality. They defend equality in every respect. The sad reality is you just don’t get it. One cannot say they are a defender of equality and then treat some unequally. That act is an offense to all of us irrespective of our characteristics of birth or chance. It is inherently discriminatory. What the heck are you talking about?

    Decades ago the discrimination of choice was Blacks and Whites. Sadly, some of that continues today. Now we see that poison finding another separatist target: charter versus traditional public schools. It’s a different target but the same poison. It’s a poison that wants some to have and some not to have. Stop the discrimination, at long last treat all people equally now. Every person that believes in justice should agree with that view. Because only that view ensures justice for all. This sentiment drives the very core of civil rights and apparently you just don’t get it.

    Fourth, you have consistently been misinformed when it comes to any number of issues regarding Pembroke Pines. If you are going to write about us at least make the effort to become informed.

    Fifth, Pembroke Pines lawsuit is on-going. Many cases have been lost in lower courts and won elsewhere. Kindly read Charlie Crist’s legal opinion on matter when he was Attorney General. His view is that the Florida Constitution calls for a uniform system of public education and therefore that goal cannot be achieved in a system that intentionally provides 100% of funding to some public school students and 60 cents on the dollar to others.

    Sixth, charter schools absolutely get less money per student than public schools. You are a reporter. If you dispute this ask for the records. Don’t just live in denial asking for “proof” when it is a phone call away. What kind of nonsense is that?

    Seventh, the reason there is disparate treatment of charter and traditional public school funding is because of evil policy. I have defined evil for you. That is my clear view of this. I am hardly alone in making that assessment and the fact you live in denial of that reality defines your predicament not mine.

    Eighth, to my friend “Critic” above, the obsession is simply because I refuse to be silent when an issue of importance affecting my residents arises and those who speak up pay the price for that courage. Gladly, I couldn’t care less. What’s important to me is doing my job well. Very little else motivates me and I fear no one but God Almighty.

    Ninth, tonight in a room full of parents we had a meeting with local legislators where I again pointed out that these policies which discriminate against some public school children are EVIL. In my city they get it and are proud of me for saying so.

    Tenth, this notion of yours that fighting for equality causes “damage” defies reason. Equal is equal, and discrimination id discrimination. Intentional disparate distribution of public funds is inherently discriminatory. It is the kind of twisted logic that racists used in the past to justify twisted ends. Kindly do not fall into that trap. Save yourself from it, in fact I strongly suggest you revisit that thought. It doesn’t suit you. Snap out of it, you’re wrong.

    Last, the only thing wacky about this issue is your ignorant coverage of it to date. We’ve disagreed occasionally on issues of public policy in the past. This one actually disappoints me because it’s sooo transparently off base. Gotta tell you, this one really takes the cake on that score. You are way off base.

    Has the inherent hypocrisy ever occurred to you that school boards travel to Tallahassee (rightfully so) every year to complain they are not given enough money, and they chastise the Legislature for not doing so. And then some come home to do the VERY same thing to the public charter schools in their own communities? Ponder that for a while and ask yourself why.

    I already know why. It’s evil. The honorable thing is to share and share alike. We share in good times and we share in bad, but we don’t discriminate and in that way ensure unity instead of discrimination. This us and them tactic serves no school child well and it needs to end. That’s what my city believes. That’s what justice demands. And I regret that you hold a different view.

    Best wishes,

    Angelo

  14. you wonder says:

    Wow, only an eleven point rebuttal to putting your foot in your mouth. Let me school you on a rule of the internet. No matter how important you think you are, nobody reads an eleven point rebuttal in the comments section. #fail

  15. Words in the wind says:

    The words of a failed politician who knows he will never make further than his own City. Sure, the Sheriff will give him and his wife riches beyond anything either could make in the private sector. Is that enough?

    Do you hear that desperation? Longing to pontificate to a bigger audience only to know deep down it will never happen. To know your legacy will end up being a little stretch of street in Pembroke Pines named after you at the most profitable red light camera intersection.

    Keep writing Angelo, the longer the better, no one actually cares, but we know and understand it is what you need to believe you are relevant.

  16. Commissioner Angelo Castillo says:

    Dear Wonder,

    Thanks for reading my response and making up your own mind on the issue. That’s all any citizen can be asked to do on any issue. Take the time to become informed and decide for themselves what they think is right.

    You confronted the facts and formed an opinion and irrespective of that outcome I respect that.

    Angelo

  17. Incredulous says:

    If equal means equal than the Pines Charter School should have to follow the same unfunded mandates and rules that the traditional schools must. Be careful what you wish for, you just may get it.

  18. Confounded says:

    Why say in one paragraph what you can in fifteen? If nothing else it serves as entertainment right up there with the best of them – Leno, Letterman, Conan…..or maybe not.

  19. genie says:

    The Pines Charter School does not have to adhere to the same unfunded mandates as the traditional public schools. For example
    class size by classroom they can do it be average. This is only one mandate that cost the traditional system more money than the charter. If equal is equal than you would need to follow the same unfunded mandates. Be careful what you wish for you just may get it.

  20. Jeanne says:

    All the Pines Charter School issue has done has brought into the light the elitist mentality of the commission and mobilized traditional public schools parents to make sure that Charter Schools are accountable in the same ways traditional public schools are.

    In addition, charter schools get money the traditional public schools do not. For a charter schools system that is crying poor, they sure have the nerve to ask the Pembroke Pines citizens to pay for a football stadium.

    Seems to me it is time to look at the way this charter school system is managed and where the dollars are going.

  21. Ghost of the past! says:

    When it comes to filing law suits by the city, Commissioner Castillo is first in line voting yes. He and the majority of the members appear to always want to cover their tracks for poor decisions they have made. Look at the prision deal they botched against the advice of the City Attorney. The purpose of the continual combative position the city has with the School Board is again from making bad business decisions about the Charter School system. How much debt are the Charter Schools in now? Maybe someone should inquire as to the record the city has when they file a law suit when they have made bad business decisions? That could tell a lot about their competence.

  22. Pines Resident says:

    OMG Angello. Give us all a break and crawl under a rock. PLEASE!! You love to hear yoru self talk. Almost every post on this blog disagrees with your opinionated views and bullshit stories of self proclaimed “I’m Important and Holy Than Now” crap. You have got to go!! Next election we will be coming out in full force against you with a strong opponent. Let’s see how much campaigning you do between 8 and 5:30 p.m. while on the County time clock!!!

  23. Duke says:

    Maybe FDOT can amend their rules to allow even less time on the yellow lights and the city can fund their charter schools that way.

  24. Ghost of the past! says:

    Pines Resident, you have all good intentions to get rid of the clown, but you must know that upto 75% Century Village voters will vote for him no matter what he does. Then if he decided not to run, his wife who has more populaty at the Village than he does would probably run. Good lucl.

  25. Ghost of the past! says:

    Seems it wasn’t that long ago that a former Pines Commissioner who worked for the Sheriffs Offine was sued by a candidate who ran for the same seat but lost the election. Even though the Candidate lost the election, he won big money from the suit. Maybe this will happen to the clown?

  26. Janitorincloset says:

    Angelo is a straight forward politician. He tells it the way it is and people don’t like to hear the truth! Would you rather he lie and sugar coat everything to residents like the rest of the elected officials. I don’t believe his has ever made poor decisions and hurt his city or residents.

  27. PandaBear says:

    Yes, Janitorincloset. And as Gore Vidal once said: “Reality is something the human race doesn’t handle very well.”